Creating an instantly recognizable “family resemblance” across product lines can prove hugely beneficial for a brand, and few watchmakers have committed to this philosophy as thoroughly as Bell & Ross. While its collection stretches from pilot’s watches to racing chronographs, dive watches, and integrated bracelet sports designs, the vast majority of the brand’s offerings iterate on a cockpit instrument-inspired rounded square case concept. The BR 03-92 Diver line is one of the most compelling stylistic crossovers to spring from this approach in recent years, combining the utility and versatility of a dive watch with the brand’s trademark silhouette, and since its initial debut in 2017 the brand has taken the concept in a wide range of stylistic directions. Its latest entry into the BR 03-92 Diver line may be its most striking and evocative to date, with a clean eye-catching colorway that incorporates the monochrome spirit behind so many of the marque’s designs. The new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver White may be far from revolutionary, but its elemental silver and black color pairing gives new energy to the brand’s mainstay diver line.
Like other models in the series, the stainless steel case of the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver White measures in at a sporty 42mm-wide and 12.05mm-thick. Although the mix of a fighter jet-style square cockpit instrument case and a conventional round coin edge dive bezel may seem to clash in concept, in practice the two disparate halves of the design mesh into a masculine and functional whole in images. Square cases generally wear larger on the wrist than traditional round designs, and while the BR 03-92 Diver White looks to carry a sizeable wrist presence, its short and sharply downturned lugs should help to keep the overall case feeling manageable. Bell & Ross tops this variant with a simple black anodized aluminum bezel insert featuring a clean and legible dive scale. As with the rest of the BR 03-92 Diver series, this model is solidly capable for actual underwater work, with a hefty 300 meters of water resistance.
Although its stands in stark contrast to the black dials that dominate Bell & Ross’s lineup, the BR 03-92 Diver White’s matte silver dial design keeps the brand’s aggressive monochrome design sensibilities intact. The main dial surface features a subtle opalescent sheen in initial images, adding a layer of icy complexity to the familiar layout. Bell & Ross keeps things hyper-legible in images with a deep black finish for the dial text, applied diver indices, and the series’ distinctive terraced baton hands. The only color that shines through this dramatic monochrome layout is a pale khaki fauxtina lume fill, which despite being divisive for some enthusiasts does markedly improve contrast with the dial surface.
Bell & Ross powers the BR 03-92 Diver White with the Sellita SW300-1 based BR-CAL.302 automatic movement. Like the Sellita movement it derives from, the BR-CAL.302’s performance is reliable but uninspiring, with an aging 38-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. To complete the package, Bell & Ross pairs the BR 03-92 Diver White with its sculptural, heavily textured black rubber strap, along with an ultra-durable black fabric strap featuring a hook and loop closure for more extreme conditions.
Although it may not introduce a wholly new concept to the series, the new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver White’s modern and masculine polar colorway gives this familiar form a handsome new monochrome edge. The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver White is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at $3,990 as of press time. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.